Florida Gators Hire Kevin Hovde As Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

The Florida Gators have officially announced the hiring of Kevin Hovde as an assistant men’s basketball coach on Tuesday.

Welcome to Gator Nation, @CoachKevinHovde!

🗞: https://t.co/EEbX3qterU pic.twitter.com/4VGvz7sTgT
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 29, 2022

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Florida’s elite men’s basketball program and become a part of the University of Florida and Gator Nation,” Hovde said in the program’s announcement.

Hovde brings a face of familiarity to the table for new head coach Todd Golden in his first opportunity to operate at the power five level.

With both men learning under the thumb of current Washington State head coach Kyle Smith, they have spent a combined seven years together.

Serving alongside Hovde as an assistant during his time at Columbia, Golden reassumed a position next to him on the bench when he was hired as an assistant by Smith at San Francisco. After being promoted to head coach following Smith’s departure following the 2018 season, Golden elevated Hovde to Associate Head Coach.

He operated under Golden for two years before moving to Richmond, where he played collegiately, last season.

Hovde spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant for the Spiders, aiding the head coach Chris Mooney and his team to an improbable Atlantic 10 tournament championship run as a No. 6 seed and first March Madness appearance in 11 years.

The Spiders proceeded to upset No. 5 seed Iowa in the first round before being eliminated by Providence in the Round of 32.

As Golden continues to assemble his coaching staff at the University of Florida, he will look to Hovde as a veteran in his system and someone who understands what is trying to be accomplished on and off the court.

That familiarity and comfortability played a considerable role in Golden’s decision to bring him into the program.

“Kevin is extremely sharp and has a great understanding of what we want to do, not only from a basketball standpoint but in the big picture of how we want this program to run,” he said.

Hovde will serve as an asset for Florida’s offensive attack as the team grows acclimated to the new style Golden brings to the table.

“He has one of the best offensive minds we have in the college game,” Golden said.

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